That was my experience as well. Too thin and brittle for my taste. Created sibilance where there wasn't in original recording. For my ears at least I've preferred the Westone 4R in the short time I've had them. Different lobes, different sensitivities I guess.

FWIW I actually did not have a problem with the TF10 fit (but I do prefer the flatter profile of the W4R and their ilk).

Quote:

Originally Posted by lee730

Not sure if I agree on [TF10] ultra-revealing treble. It was more like boosted artificial treble IMO.

I will be leaving home this week (like I do every week) to head up to school. That said, I will be doing comparisons, so I do need to know what to bring with me. I'm not driving 2 hours round trip to pick up an IEM someone forgot to mention. That said, if you don't get your request on time, you'll have to remind me next week. Right now, I have the following lined up:

Westone W4R

Phonak PFE232

Heir Audio 3.Ai

For those asking for a TF10 comparison, the closest I can do is an Atomic Floyd SuperDart comparison. I'm not bringing them unless someone requests it though. I'm already carrying... about 2k of headphones with me... If you add the SuperDart, I break 2k XD

Logitech Ultimate Ears UE900 VS Buncha’ Headphones!

It’s time for the battles to begin. The UE900 is going to take on a list of competitors that have been lined up. It’s a line of strong competitors. It’ll win some, it’ll lose some, others will result a draw. Let’s stop the talking and get to the briefing.

Headphone Briefing

UE900: Warm headphone that walks the line of neutrality, but really isn’t (it’s warm of neutral).

Westone W4R: Balanced IEM with boosted highs and lows with a good midrange focus.

NOTE: Specifics about the actual sound of the UE900 alone will be in the review. Since the review is going to be copyright (not even owned by me), I won’t be writing it here. This is also the reason why I can’t repost my reviews, only link them. So if you are looking for that, you’ll have to wait.

Comparisons, however, aren’t part of the original review, so get ready for some in depth comparisons between these IEMs. So sit back, we’ve got quite a lineup here of 300+ dollar IEMs ranging up to 600! Let the trials begin.

Logitech Ultimate Ears UE900 VS Westone W4R

The differences between these IEMs really resides in the signature type. The 900s are closer to the neutral line over the W4. The W4s are actually balanced (have a slight V) while the 900s are leaning with warmth. Out of all the IEMs in the list, the 900s are closest to the W4s.

Bass

OK, this is the area where the W4s will rule, but only slightly. The mid bass is a focus for the W4 while the 900s are more linear overall. The W4s are perceived to dig deeper though. However, this is perceived as both of these IEMs dig as deep into the spectrum. The mid bass focus of the W4 results in a punch that the 900s can’t replicate. The low-bass bump though results in a slower bass in comparison to the 900s. The overall increase in quantity for the W4 ends up creating a better presence over the 900s. While the 900s could have bass that sounds lost in congested songs, the W4 fights through.

Bass: W4R

Mids

The midrange battle is really a selection of sorts, overall though, the 900s do win out. However, if you love your vocals, and don’t mind a sacrifice in the instrumentals, the W4 will suit you much better. That said, the 900s offer better clarity over the W4 in both the lower and higher mids. They both offer good detailing, but the drop in upper mids for the W4 can make this area count against it. That said, the W4s do fully shine in the vocal department. The 900s sound like they are lacking on the top-end sweetness of vocals that the W4 portray in such a beautiful fashion. The depth and lushness of the vocals is portrayed very well with both IEMs. The UE900s take the mids by a smudge here.

Mids: UE900

Highs

The UE900s roll off a little earlier than the W4 in the high end. They both are very soft however, offering a hint of sparkle. Both IEMs offer similar detailing throughout, if I were to choose one, the W4s would have slightest of edges on the UE900s. One weakness that I did find in the W4 is that they can sound a bit sibilant. As we step into the lower-highs, the presence that the 900s give is much better than the W4s. Snare snaps are all there and audible, however, the 900s decay just a little quicker than the W4s. This gives the W4 a little edge regarding timbre and “naturalness” behind the snap. I really can’t name a victor here. The W4 edges slightly with the lower highs and upper highs due to extension (not to say the 9s don’t extend), but the sibilance is a killer for me.

Highs: DRAW

So the end result is really a draw. The decision of which one to get will be determined by the sound you want out of the IEM. Do note that I’m one of few Head-Fiers to find the highs on the W4 sibilant, so if you don’t find them sibilant, the W4 would technicly win. If you want better bass presence and vocal ability, the W4 would be the way to go. If you want your instrumentals with ample vocal ability and bass, go 900s.

Logitech Ultimate Ears UE900 VS Phonak PFE232

The Phonak PFE232 takes the balanced signature of the W4R, boosts the lower highs quite a bit, as well as the higher highs. The bass is boosted all around, but still has a mid-low bass focus. Then you drop the lowermids and you have what I consider the 232s V-shape. The Phonak will be the toughest competitor for the 900s.

Bass

The Phonaks offer a bunch bigger bass presence and are overall much more fun. They dig much further than either the W4s or the UE900s. The texturing on the Phonaks I can easily describe as euphoric in a sense. It’s just absolutely wonderful. The UE900s on the other hand, do keep towards a balanced act having texture, but it just doesn’t dig as deep. Both IEMs provide a sufficient amount of impact being both strong and with good presence. The 232s have a larger low-bass focus which is pretty large. Punch is also done similarly on both, but the 232s just have better presence overall. There is really no competition, the Phonaks take this.

Bass: PFE232

Mids

The midrange shows a big battleground once again, but a tighter one between the 232s than with the W4s. The vocals on both offer a very sweet sound, the UEs being sweeter than the 232 overall. The 232s are able to add a lushness to the vocals that the UE still can’t get on it (the UE does have lushness, but not as strong compared to the 232). Clarity was an area where the 232s were lacking a bit, mostly in the lower-miss. Clarity is where the 900s shine in my mind with the midrange. Both offer a strong detailing overall, but 900s do take it by a smidge. The end result is like the W4s, battle of vocals or instrumentals. 900s take it for the clarity in this case, and even slightly better detailing.

Mids: UE900

Highs

The high end is much better and much more convincing on the Phonaks. Unlike the W4s, I didn’t find the Phonaks highs sibilant. The highs extend far and beyond over the 900s. Once again, the 900s could use a slight bit of refining in this area. Not that they are problematic, but to play ball with the big kids, it’s going to have to do some stuff. The detailing is about even, but the Phonaks offer a more linear sound with better decay pattern. The end result is much better timbre in this region. As you drop lower in the highs, it becomes a game of no competition. The Phonaks extend further than the 900s, have better presence, and are just much stronger overall. The high end is really no competition; the 900s look like amateurs next to the Phonaks here.

Highs: PFE232

Really, the UE900s weaknesses become the Phonak’s strengths. So there really was nothing that could be done. Although the Phonaks and W4s are matched SQ-wise, the battles are on different fronts and at different locations. The result is that the Phonaks outmatch the 900s more than the W4s did. Still, a game of preference comes into play here. I still prefer the 900s over the Phonaks, but the Phonak is technically so much better on so many levels.

Logitech Ultimate Ears UE900 VS Heir Audio 3.Ai

Both of these IEMs are new on the market, both of these IEMs are my new toys. The Heir Audios have a signature close to the PFE232, but to higher extremes. The mid-low-bass focus is increased plenty and the highs extended further. The resonance spike on the Heir Audio is much larger in contrast to the Phonak which makes it absolutely stunning for vocals in my opinion.

Bass

The bass on the 3.Ai digs just as deep as the Phonak, actually, a little deeper. If the PFE232 is deeper than the 900s, the 3s will be deeper as well. Once again, you get a more euphoric presentation of the bass here. Texturing is just magical and something the UE900 can’t really level with. The mid bass is much tighter here over the 900s as well, although both provide an ample punch. Impact can be shown by both IEMs with good quality as well as quantity. The UE900s actually have a larger body over the 3.Ai, but both do fine with presence. Overall, like the Phonaks, the 3.Ai take this battle.

Bass: 3.Ai

Mids

The midrange game is a flip however, mostly. The instrumentals in the lower-miss are a win for the UE900. The detailing is much better with the 900 over the Heir in this region, just like they were with the Phonak. Clarity is same story here, the UE900 is much clearer than the Heir Audios in both the lower mids and upper mids as well as the mids in general. Detailing in the upper mids is a flush though, neither outdoes each other. Now, we go to the vocals, we have another IEM that is exceptionally strong with vocals. This one outdoes the Phonaks, and it’ll outdo the UE900 the same way. They offer much better dynamics with vocals entirely. They are lusher, but actually offer similar sweetness. The general improvements of the UE900 in the instrumentals outweighs the loss of lushness the 900s show against the Heir Audio.

Mids: UE900

Highs

The Heir Audios extend high, but don’t extend quite enough actually. They have a very strong splash to them that isn’t sibilant, it’s a lot of fun, and it’s really done right. However, the extension of both of these IEMs is actually about equal. The UE900s have a strong splash as well, and its done just as right as the Heir Audios. Both of these IEMs have a slight weakness in the lower highs. This is where the UE900 is the better of the two. Snaps extend slightly longer with the 900s due to the better linearity of the highs with them over the Heir. Due to this reason, the 900s do take the highs.

Highs: UE900

The Heir Audios are actually a way to get something like the Phonak signature, but made more fun. The UE900 is still slightly above them however in technicality. However, some may actually prefer the fun V-shaped sound of the 3.Ai over the UE900.

That’s the end of the battles. The UE900 ends up being 1-1-1 (W-L-T) here. All three of these IEMs are in the relatively same class SQ-wise, but there are minor things between them. Like all subjective comparisons, take these with a grain of salt. If you have further questions, ASK! Don’t ASSUME, cause you know how I feel about AssUMe.

Amendment I: Brainwavz B2 Comparison

Ultimate Ears UE 900 vs Brainwavz B2

The signature differences between these two IEMs is rather small actually. Please note that I have been one to hear the B2 as a non-analytical headphone (so take this with a slight grain of salt). The signatures are actually otherwise, more closely related overall. The B2s offering more mid-bass (less sub-bass) and slightly higher top end. The midrange has small differences, but are very similar nonetheless.

Bass

The UE 900 and the B2 have very similar bass quantity overall. The B2 has an undeniable mid-bass focus on it. The result is that the bass in general is a lot tighter, but also a lot faster, but the texturing takes a slight back seat in comparison to the UE 900. While the B2’s impacts offer a larger bolder body to them, the UE 900 does better with the sub-bass presence while still being able to offer that amply sized body. The differences, however, still remain slightest at best as the quantity of bass is actually very similar between the two IEMs. The quality of the 900s does top the B2 due to sub-bass presence.

Bass: UE 900

Mids

The midrange presentation of the two headphones is very similar as well, believe it or not. Detail retrieval for both is just about on par with each other. The B2s actually have a warmer midrange in comparison to the UE 900s (despite being the brighter headphone). The instrumental clarity is performed wonderfully on both, even though the UE 900 shows this a little more. The vocals take a slight flip flop. While the 900s offer a sweeter voice, the B2 compliments with a slightly lusher one. Overall, I feel that both do the vocal dynamic about equally, the B2 taking a slight edge though. Overall though, the 900s take it by a centimeter.

Mids: UE 900

Highs

The B2s are prone to sibilance, that is first and for most. The treble is aggressive and fast. The 900s aren’t really relaxed, being able to almost match the energy of the 900 in most instances. There are others where the 900s won’t match, and for good reason. That said, the upper highs are really where both of these IEMs shine. There is a nice splash, and separation associated with each of these. The B2s show better presence in the high end than the 900s, while being able to show a slightly greater extension as well (but the 900s aren’t too far behind). If it wasn’t for the sibilance, the B2s could have taken this round, but since they didn’t, it's a draw really (B2 lower mids take a nice edge on the UE 900's).

Highs: Draw

The B2s take the 900s for a big run for their money. They remain one of the greatest bang for the buck IEMs out there offering quality that nearly matches up with the UE 900s. Despite the fact that the 900s stack up higher than the B2s (mainly in the bass), the B2s are no slouch. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend either one under the right conditions.

Amendment II: Heir Audio 4.Ai Comparison

Logitech Ultimate Ears UE 900 vs Heir Audio 4.Ai

Now is the time that everyone really waited for. The W4 and the 4.Ai are similar in signature. Well, the UE 900 and the 4.Ai are also very similar in signature. Take the 4.Ai, increase the upper midrange, extend further into the sub-bass, subdue the mid-bass a bit, and you get a UE 900.

Bass: Starting at the low, sub-bass, we do find that the 4.Ai doesn’t quite reach as low as the UE 900s do. The result is a slight loss of detailing (when I say slight, I mean slight). It should be noted, however, that neither really have this depth that they need. As we go up, we find that both IEMs do offer almost the same amount of impact with a nice strength behind them. Despite the larger body, the 4.Ai is still able to keep up with speed and timing that the 900s provide. This larger body does create better presence in the upper bass. Both provide a nice solid punch with ample tightness to them. The differences are small, the 4.Ai provides a slightly better upper-bass, the 900s do a slightly better lower-bass…

Bass: Draw

Mids: In contrast to the UE 900s, the 4.Ais show a nice, smooth warmth in the midrange. It creates a very consumer friendly signature that is inoffensive. The detail retrieval is above that of the 900s, although both do very well regarding details. The 4.Ai’s show the lower details more forward and clearer. Moving onto the vocals, we find that the 4.Ai creates a stronger body over the vocals leading to a lush, soothing sound to them. They, however, don’t extend high like the 900s do. In that case, they lose out on sweetness in comparison to the UE 900. With that said, both lack vocal dynamics. If we compare clarity, we find that the 900s have a slight advantage over the 4s. Again, the midrange is really a wash.

Mids: Draw

Highs: Going up to the high end, we find two different presentations of treble, the 4.Ai still sound laid back, but still hold a slightly (and I mean slightly) stronger presence over the 900s. We’ll start up high, were both do a fine job. Detailing and separation up top are well presented by both parties. The 4s do show slightly better linearity while the 900s show better extension. When we go down into the lower-treble, both have problems down here. Although the 900s have the slightest bit better extension, neither are really where they should be in regards to both detailing and presence. This round is a draw.

Highs: Draw

The headphones are evenly matched here, there is no question about it. The decision on which to get will solely live up to the sound signature one prefers. If you want a more neutral and clear sound, the UE 900 would be the no brainer. If you want a relaxing sound that doesn’t backfire with technicalities, the 4.Ai would be your choice.

Logitech Ultimate Ears UE900 VS Buncha’ Headphones!

It’s time for the battles to begin. The UE900 is going to take on a list of competitors that have been lined up. It’s a line of strong competitors. It’ll win some, it’ll lose some, others will result a draw. Let’s stop the talking and get to the briefing.

Headphone Briefing

UE900: Warm headphone that walks the line of neutrality, but really isn’t (it’s warm of neutral).

Westone W4R: Balanced IEM with boosted highs and lows with a good midrange focus.

Phonak PFE232: V-shaped IEM with a dip in the lower mids.

Heir Audio 3.Ai: V-shaped IEM with a dip in the lower mids.

NOTE: Specifics about the actual sound of the UE900 alone will be in the review. Since the review is going to be copyright (not even owned by me), I won’t be writing it here. This is also the reason why I can’t repost my reviews, only link them. So if you are looking for that, you’ll have to wait.

Thanks for the great comparisons. What ear tips were you using and did you find the bass response change much with different ear tips? Thanks.